There's History In Those Old Bones

Author Charlotte Renehan Digs Up Stories About The People Buried In Grayslake Cemetery

April 19, 1998|By Steven J. Stark, Tribune Staff Writer.

Every book needs a plot. Charlotte Renehan's has 137.

That book, "Absent But Ever Present," tells the story of everyone buried at Grayslake Cemetery, which was founded 135 years ago last week.

It took Renehan about three years to complete her tome of tombs, and she's still digging up information.

"I do love genealogy, and I like local history," the 64-year-old Grayslake native said recently. "The more I found, the more I wanted to find."

Renehan's research began at the Lake County Genealogical Society, which maintains records on cemeteries throughout the county, and continued at the Grayslake and Waukegan Historical Societies and the Waukegan Public Library. Renehan also visited funeral homes, a tombstone maker and other cemeteries to look for any details that might shed light on those who occupy Grayslake Cemetery. She also read old gossip columns from local newspapers to find out the relationships the deceased had with each other.

"Sometimes I'd find out when someone was going to visit someone else or someone's anniversary," Renehan said. "I got desperate at times and went and got death certificates. I went to surrounding cities and still couldn't find some people."

Lake County Museum Director Janet Gallimore, who knows Renehan as a volunteer at the museum, considers her a bit of a hero for gathering information that otherwise might have been lost over time.

"There isn't a lot of documentation about the history of this county," Gallimore said. "But one thing we're learning is how complex and amazing the history of this county is. I think it is real exciting when people take the time to write it down and document our history. Otherwise, it's kind of like that tree falling in the woods. Most people aren't going to be doing the detailed level of research it takes to compile a book. For those who do, it's a great service and a great honor."

The hallways of Renehan's house are still crammed with boxes containing old Lake County census records.

"My kids said, `Get rid of this stuff before you die,' " she said.

Renehan said that in talking with one octogenarian during her research, she sent the woman a preliminary copy of information about the woman's family for verification. In it, another family name was mentioned as a relative. The woman said she always wondered why there was a trunk with that name on it still in her family's possession.

"I thought it was cool. . . wow," Renehan said. "I would've been ecstatic to learn that trunk belonged to a relative of mine."

According to Renehan's self-published book, Grayslake Cemetery was founded on April 15, 1863, when Lawrence Forvor, one of the village's settlers, and his wife, Maria, donated a plot of land. The donation, originally part of an 1843 land grant from President James K. Polk, was to be used as a cemetery and a site for a school. The cemetery portion was located on Lake Street, half a block north of Belvidere Road.

The 137 plots contain a combined total of more than 400 burials (cremation and burials in layers account for the larger number). Some headstones have disintegrated over time, others were never even erected. Among those buried are several veterans, including two from the War of 1812, seven from the Civil War, one from the Spanish-American War and six from World War I. Twenty-two members of the Harvey family, 21 members of the Hendee family and 19 members of the Kapple family are buried there; the last burial was in 1994.

Many of the cemetery plots contain Grayslake's original settlers, including David Rich and Lawrence Forvor. Other notables include Michael E. Schlosser, who late in his life carried mail between the post office and a Grayslake matrimonial agency, Renehan said.

"Though the land was used for the purpose intended, it was not until April 10, 1876, that Illinois Secretary of State George H. Harlow issued a certificate to cemetery trustees Sarah Longabaugh, Anna Hendee and Minerva Seesholtz to establish the Grayslake Cemetery Association," according to the book.

The 170-page book, published last fall, is available only from Renehan. She has sold about 100 books and hasn't bothered to print copies in advance because she is always learning something new to add to the book. The book costs $19 (including postage and handling), but Renehan said she isn't in it for the money.

"I did it because genealogy is special to me," said Renehan, a retired physical education teacher. "Some people go out and play golf or go bowling or have other vices. I love doing this."

Renehan began making family trees when she was just 10, but it wasn't until about 20 years ago that she really did something about her interest in genealogy.

"I said, `I'm not going to wait until I retire to start researching family history,' " Renehan said.

Joan Roden, cemetery committee chairwoman at the Lake County Genealogical Society in Libertyville, said members of her organization go around and read cemetery headstones, but Renehan went way beyond that and got the biographies of the people.